Our approach to editing your book

Castle Gate Press is unusual in several ways. One of them is in our team editing approach.

The contests where we’ve been entering our books often ask who the editor of the book is, leaving space for the name of one editor. This is apparently the common way for the big publishers to do it, with one editor.

Being so tiny, and operating on a shoestring, we enlist the talents of a pool of qualified editors. While typically the first structural edit of the manuscript is done by Suzanne or Phyllis, subsequent passes through the manuscript are done by at least two of our associate editors: Azalea Dabill, Marisa Deshaies, Briana Storm Hilvety, Joanne Reese and Linda Yezak (and, formerly, Leah Burchfiel). And then, there’s a wrap-up edit from Suzanne and also Phyllis.

To qualify to be our editors, our associate editors pass an editing test. Typically they’re free-lancers who would love to get more exposure. We find that they’ve done wonderful work for us.

This year our book Cruel Messenger by Timothy W. Ayers is a finalist for the Excellence in Editing Award run by the Christian Editor Connection. If it wins, we’d love to be able to crowd the podium with all those who contributed. Unfortunately the cost of air fare prohibits this. But just envision our associates up there! It’s a crowd!

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